Talented Plett youngsters go global
Several young Plettenberg Bay athletes will be competing on an international stage in various disciplines within the next few months.
Three local karatekas, Joshua van Renen (12), Cameron Frew (12) and Galliano Boni (8) were selected for the SA Shotokan Karate Academy (Saska) team to participate in the 2019 World Union of Karate-Do Federations (WUFK) World Championships in Bratislava in Slovakia next year.
They were selected at the Saska trials in Somerset West on Saturday 13 October.
Although they are still young, they have raked in several titles over the past few years. Both Joshua and Galliano participated in the 2018 WUKF World Championships in Dundee, Scotland in June this year and were the only South African juniors to win medals. Galliano and Cameron also went to the International Sport Karate Association (Iska) World Championships in Orlando, Florida, US earlier this year.
Cameron successfully defended his world title of the previous two years bringing his total world titles to seven. When Cameron heads to Slovakia next year, he would be participating in his fifth world championship.
Joshua and Galliano have also been selected to be part of the World JKA Association (WJKA) SA team and will be participating in WJKA World Championships in Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape in July next year, straight after the WUFK World Championships.
The three have also just finished competing in the NMA Iska SA Championships held in Stellenbosch on 29 and 30 September.
Joshua won two SA titles, Cameron three and Galliano a record-breaking seven titles along with a silver medal.
Another youngster who is set to prove her mettle against international teams is Leolin Petersen, who recently became the national champion in the tumbling and double mini trampoline disciplines during the SA National Gymnastics Championships in Pretoria over the school holidays.
Leolin Petersen was selected to represent SA at the 2018 Region 5 gymnastics competition in Pretoria next month. Photo: Supplied
The 12-year-old Plettenberg Bay Primary School Grade 6 learner just found out that she was, as a result, selected to represent SA at the Region 5 gymnastics competition from 1 to 5 November in Pretoria this year where she will be competing against gymnasts from across Southern Africa.
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Source: Knysna Plett Herald News